At Long Last
by StoneWolf18
Summary: Months after the defeat of Dettlaff and the Wild Hunt, Geralt and Yennefer had grown restless after sitting idle for so long. But when tending a wound causes old desires to resurface, it causes some wondrous and unfortunate circumstance for them both.
1. Chapter 1

_**Now... I've never written as canon characters before so this will be my first (horrid) attempt. Feedback on how I'm doing would be wonderful as this is a bit embarrassing for myself. As always all rights to Andrzej Sapkowski for general lore and characters.**_

 _ **Note that this is taking place a few months after the end of the third game as well as Blood and Wine. Expect spoilers as well as a few from the books as the certain subject addressed stemmed from one of the first short stories.**_

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The days were creeping by dreadfully slow, although what would one expect when there was little to be done. It had been a few months after the defeat of Dettlaff and return of the Duchess' long lost sister, and with a certain enchantress and witcher having decided to settle down at their new estate within the Duchy of Toussaint for the first time in many years, it was safe to say they finally had found some time for themselves. The first few days and even weeks were splendid. No impending doom, life threatening wounds, or political messes to attend to. Yet, as they both were used to a life constantly filled with action, it wasn't a surprise that boredom was soon to take an unfortunately strong grip upon them both. First it was Geralt who decided to saddle Roach, more than eager to stretch his limbs while slicing a few drowners. Then it was Yennefer, who had finally grown tired of sitting idle and begun a bit of scattered research upon anything and everything once more as to keep herself occupied. Until something she had sought quite eagerly in the past began to resurface.

Not long before the incident, the Witcher had been out dealing with a contract of moderate difficulty. A noonwraith terrorizing those in a vineyard not far from their own Corvo Bianco. The fight was over somewhat quickly although not without Geralt sustaining a few injuries with the most noticeable being a near blindness in one eye due to the way the Specter had attacked him and being too busy with its many doppelgangers to have time to deflect. Upon returning home, Yen was more than eager to prompt him with the same lecture that just about followed every occasion he returned with more than a scratch upon him…

"Yen…" Geralt grumbled whilst swinging his legs over his mare and landing on the soft earth, handing the reigns of his horse to the servant that had come to retrieve it. "I'm fine." Keeping an unconvinced glare within her violet eyes, Yennefer was quick to near him before ushering the man towards the front door, having already noted how prominent his veins stood out against his pasty complexion. "By the gods, how much swallow did you drink?" Her tone was sharp, almost as if scolding a child. The only answer she received was a soft mixture of a grunt and groan, a telltale sign that she wouldn't like the answer. Shutting the door behind them once they entered the main building, she guided him to their bedroom and practically shoved him down onto the mattress, Geralt's working eye flicking from her to the stuffed unicorn in the corner. "After." The sorceress replied curtly before spinning on her black bootheel and examining the many parchments, scrolls, bottles, vials and other assorted odds and ends that littered its surface. "What happened?" Her lover sighed deeply while reclining back. "Noonwrath. It's apparitions distracted me." A small smile graced her lips as she then mused while rooting through a few papers "You're losing your touch." Not finding what she was looking for, mainly the specific incantation to repair his sclera, lense, and possibly other damaged bits and pieces that lay within his feline eye, the woman let loose an annoyed huff. She either was going to have to find the bloody spell or try and recall it from memory. "Give me a moment…" she muttered, exiting the room and kneeling to search the chests that have yet to be emptied and stored away.

After a minute or two, conversing with the Witcher through the doorway, she finally found what looked to be a familiar journal of some sort. Thinking this to be it, Yen grasped its aging leather-bound surface, removing it from the box it was stored within. "I believe I've finally-" She stated nonchalantly while standing and taking a few steps towards his bedside, but as her eyes skimmed the ink-stained and yellowing parchment, her voice caught within her throat and soon dying off. It was for but a moment, but more than noticeable to someone as attentive as the the white wolf himself. "What is it? Did you find the spell you were looking for?" Quickly closing the book and setting it upon the desk, giving her head a brief shake while she had been facing away she quickly found her voice once more. "Yes…" the magician replied hesitantly before righting herself and allowing her normal demeanor to return as she sat on the side of the bed. Noticing that something was off, Geralt was soon to frown. "Yen, what's wrong?" But, of course, it was quickly denied. "Nothing." She snapped. "I'm fine. Let's get this over with before the damage becomes permanent."

Yennefer had been able to fix his eye but not without being noticeably distant. Geralt was aware of this, as she was getting momentarily tongue-tied with the words she was muttering which was more than uncommon. But he remained silent for not only would she deny it once more, yet he was also the one being affected by the spell which he undoubtedly new she could alter if she wished.

Upon finishing, the sorceress quickly left the room after grabbing the book, leaving him with a faint command. "Get some rest." The door softly shutting behind her. What she had stumbled upon was something that had escaped her mind for quite some time as she had been more focused upon Ciri, Geralt, and more or less the fate of the world in both the literal and political sense. Now she had time to spare. Too much, in fact, it was almost sickening. Moving to the large dining table in the center of the room, the woman slowly took a seat, flipping through the many pages she had poured hours over many years ago. The formulae, calculations, scratched out notes with indistinguishable words… A deep frown began to tug upon her lips as her mood was increasingly tainted while her eyes read over the last few entries, they seeming rather depressed, hopeless even as the golden dragon hadn't been slain but quite the opposite. In all honesty, she had nearly forgot about the whole situation with Villentrentenmerth and in turn the disappointment that stemmed from not getting ahold of his hide.

What followed was rather… bittersweet to say the least. After retrieving an inkwell and quill, Yennefer proceeded to correct previous mistakes, rework certain situations, so on and so forth whilst cursing beneath her breath for not thinking things through properly the first time. As the hours dragged on, Geralt, who had managed to sleep off most of the potion albeit still feeling a bit groggy, grew restless. Thus leading him to discard his armor for a cloth tunic and trousers before slowly opening the door. The sun had disappeared leaving the house swamped in darkness, which wasn't a problem as his pupils quickly adjusted to the faint candle light to see the enchantress still seated at the table. A half filled glass of wine before her with an untouched plate of food pushed off to the side most likely prepared by Marlene. Remaining silent as he left the doorway and arrived next to her, he couldn't do much as to skim the pages she was currently writing upon before she uttered a few words that caused his medallion to humm faintly, the ink soon becoming rather blurred and illegible. "You should be asleep." She huffed, which prompted a similar response. "So should you. What are you working on?" Keeping herself faced towards the other end of the room and away from him, Yen took a moment to respond. "Nothing of importance." Her tone betraying nothing, however it was all to clear that if it wasn't important, she wouldn't be working on it. With a sigh, the witcher would gesture towards the doorway to their room with a faint nod. "Then come to bed." Reluctantly, she stood and blew out the candles, leaving the magically obscured ink to dry on its pages as she slowly walked past the man into their room. That night, she ignored all of Geralt's attempts at cheering her up which were tried more than once before he finally fell asleep.

For Yennefer, sleep came much later than it should've due to how wound up she still was. When dawn broke and morning finally came, the witcher had already left the room silently and allowed her to sleep. Letting Barnabas know that he was going out to see if there were any other contracts to tend to. After he had left and was well on his way, the woman slowly woke to find the space beside her cold and empty. Dawdling for a few moments longer she soon worked up the courage to pull herself out of the cocoon of sheets and dress.

Once she exited the room, the majordomo had walked over and bowed his head slightly. "Geralt is out working a contract, Madam." The sorceress' eyes immediately being drawn to the table, she was relieved to see that the journal and inkwell still remain where they had been placed the night before, although not explicitly expressing as much. "So I had thought…" "He had also said not to touch whatever is was that you were working on, so I made sure to leave it be." Finishing the brief exchange with a curt 'thank you' she walked to the table and sat once more. Pleased to see a fresh glass of wine in the stale one's place, she picked up the quill and dipped it within the ink, reading over the page and resuming up where she left off. Determined to make some sort of progress.

Meanwhile, Geralt had finally happened upon something rather curious. It was, for lack of a better word, strange to say the least. He had been cantering through a lightly wooded area that had gathered an odd amount of fog for the time of day. Slowly slightly, he swore to have seen figures flit between the barely visible trees ahead. Continuing with a frown upon his face, he lowered a hand to keep Roach calm while stretching his hearing to try and see if he could locate anything. At first, nothing. But then, almost out of the blue, screaming. Akin to that of a human. Knowing that it could be a number of things rather than the most obvious, he proceeded cautiously but still with haste. Guiding a reluctant Roach towards the sound, the mare sorting with unease, he kept a hand on her neck whilst preparing to use Axii if necessary.

While he kept nearing the screaming, the wail soon grew strong enough that he was able to hear it without difficulty. At first, he thought it might be a banshee considering how feminine the cries sounded yet as he reached the end of the trail he had been following, the witcher noticed something else…

It sounded familiar.

Not in the sense that he knew what the creature was, no. But in a human sense how the tones and pitch were reminiscent of something. Someone to be exact. But who it was he couldn't place. Only that he supposedly knew the origin. Gritting his teeth, Geralt drew his silver sword while dismounting. Combating the instinctual urge to rush in blindly, he walked into the fog-shroud treeline carefully. The cries grew more distressed as he continued, grunting he tried to block it out, convinced that it was highly unlikely for anyone, much less anyone he knew, to be out in such a remote location.

It didn't take him long to reach a clearing seemingly in the center of the forest. The mist was unbelievably dense, making anything more than five feet away from himself impossible to see. By now the wailing had seem to abruptly died off, allowing the witcher to clear his mind and adjust his grip on the hilt of his silver blade, eyes scanning the surrounding area. Every now and then, it appeared as if some sort of figure would flit past him, although it was impossible to track. This game continued for a good solid few minutes until he felt a presence in the back of his mind, something similar to when Yennefer would scan his thoughts. Something was reading his mind? Was it a mage? Uncertain, he tried to block who or whatever it was out which only caused it to try harder. Pain blossoming in his skull, the man faltered momentarily, cursing beneath his breath as it gave it all the time it needed to, unfortunately, gather what it wished.

Then...the torment insued.

It began slowly, faint disembodied whisperings that he hardly paid any mind to. Then... it grew much more intense. The sounds rose to cries once more, cries of people he knew and cared for. First it was Dandelion, giving one of his oh so familiar pleas for help as something leaped at his side. Barely able to dodge the blow, claws grazing chainmail and leather, the being disappeared and continued the mental onslaught. Next it seeming as if Triss was in need of desperate help, the witcher having to concentrate hard to block out the wailing as the monster lashed out at him again, this time being much more aggressive and tearing into it's mark's armor. Swinging his silver blade downward, it was met with nothing as the being had already retreated.

"Geralt!" Yet another one of them shrieked, this time it being Yennefer's voice before quickly being replaced by Ciri's. "Geralt! Please!" Narrowing his eyes and not stopping in his current circling motion, his mind was beginning to play tricks on him as he swore he saw the ashen-haired witcheress out of the corner of his eye. Distracted by this, the beast came in once more, lunging at his back and managing to sink their claws in enough for a reasonable slash before leaping away. Snarling audibly, he spun on his heel but hadn't had the time to spot the culprit. By now the many cries were meshing, a horrid chorus of wailing and desperation cascading his senses as well as the burning pain that was plaguing his back and other wounds. Barely able to focus he managed to get ahold of himself for a brief moment, quickly casting Quen. As he did, the creature then swooped in once more but was momentarily dazed by the explosion of his shield. Taking advantage of this brief moment, the witcher wasted no time leaning forth, aiming to impale whatever it was that had been causing such hallucinations. The blade sank inside of whatever it was, the disembodied voices crying out as if they were in pain. The effect was only further increased as he looked up with a glare but was terrified to see that his silver sword had apparently been shoved through Ciri's stomach. Caught off guard by the horrified and pain ridden look within the woman's emerald eyes as well as the blood beginning to stain the shirt she normally wore, he was still stunned as the illusion shattered with a pissed off and not to mention corpse-like being rushing at him.

It took the man to the damp earth that lay beneath them both. The monster apparently done with this little game, it slashing for anything it could reach around Geralt's throat and face. Coming to his senses, he grasped the necrophage by its neck and threw it off him. Quickly righting himself, he aimed to bring his sword down upon the wounded creature, it effective in piercing its heart. The corpse spasmed twice, its maw opened in a soundless roar as life finally faded from his body. Once it is was officially deceased, the fog was slowly yet surely letting up from the surrounding area, giving way to a pleasant mid-morning sunshine. Glad for the ordeal to be over, Geralt stood and cast the beast a hateful glance while pondering what had just occurred. Foglets were known for mimicking human screams but imitating the distress of people he knew, even to the point of an illusion? It seemed much too far fetched. Hell, he wouldn't believed anyone if they would've described such as encounter to him but living it… was something else entirely. Grasping the hilt of his weapon, the witcher tugged it from the corpse before sheathing it and kneeling down to take a sample (knowing Yen would want to see it,) something caught his eye. Within it's rotting, gaping chest cavity was something quivering. Frowning somewhat, he lowered his hand inside, took hold, and pulled, revealing a beating human heart. His medallion was tugging violently upon its chain, a clear sign that the organ was seeped in magic. Taking it as well with a clear air of curiosity about, he removed a small bit of flesh from the creature before standing and whistling. Awaiting his mare's arrival.

Yennefer had been working intently all morning while also managing to consume a bit more than wine upon the coaxing of Marlene. Progress was slow, that was for certain, but she was now convinced that if she had enough magical energy within an organic material, she could recreate the properties that would be within a golden dragon's scales without needing the hide itself. Where she was going to get something of the sort, she wasn't sure. Even removing one of Philipa's limbs wouldn't be enough despite how powerful the damned wench was. But fate has an odd way of answering one's prayers when they least expected it. For as she set her quill down and reached for her wineglass, staring at the word-stained pages while swirling the liquid slowly, the door opened behind her. Setting it down and turning, the enchantress was quick to notice two things. The faint metallic scent of blood, and an unbelievably strong magical energy nearby. "I, uh, ran into one hell of a foglet." The witcher said before she could speak, making his way over to the table and setting a slightly bloodied and twitching bag upon the space next to her. "That-" Geralt said, gesturing to the bag. "-was inside of it. It apparently was taking the power from it somehow, using it to enhance itself." Nodding slowly she carefully opened the sack and stuck a gloved hand inside, removing the human heart that her lover had found. Much too stunned that she had what she needed, Yen didn't take her eyes from the organ, murmuring "Go get cleaned up… I'll tend to your wounds after as I would like to study this a bit more closely." Glad that she had said something as such, be nodded and headed off to here the basin was located, eager to relax after that whole ordeal.

Once he had left, the sorceress quickly got to work. Measuring the amount of energy within the beating heart before plugging it into various calculations, eyes wide in a silent astonishment of how this was much more than she needed. Even a small portion of it would do. Knowing Geralt would be finished soon and that his wounds needing tending, she gathered her things and set them aside, knowing she would have to begin later without fear of prying eyes.

After Geralt had finished bathing the day had already grown rather late. And so after she tended to his wounds (the gashes on his back being the worst, although his armor had blocked most of the damage to the cuts were rather shallow) he tried to coax her into bed rather early. She did decide to join him, albeit being much too eager to continue her work. But she then pushed it to the back of her mind for now, wanting to enjoy the love they made without being troubled by distractions.

Night was almost through when she finally woke admits entangled sheet's and Geralt's arms. Causing the mage to silently scold herself for falling asleep. With a suppressed sigh, she carefully began to work her way out of the bed her and the witcher shared, having a spell ready in the event he would wake. Managing to stand freely and silently dress, Yennefer hastily exited the room and grabbed her things, heading for the front door. It had been an accident when Geralt had stumbled upon the alchemy laboratory, half drunk and fooling around with Aard as the wall caved in, claiming he swore there was a huge spider clinging to the now toppled bricks. The space was promptly cleared and cleaned up, all the equipment in astounding condition despite how long it had apparently been left behind. Now it would serve quite the purpose for the evening's duration. Not delaying in the slightest, the woman was quick to set the items she needed on the wooden table, lighting the brazier as to allow some light to grace her workspace before also allowing a flame to be coaxed up beneath a few different instruments she would need for the long and arduous process.

As much as it was tiring, it was also excruciatingly frustrating. Transmutation wasn't only a much more difficult branch to effectively master, but with her having all but no practice with the magic in itself, it wasn't making the task any easier. Time and time again she would remove part of the heart and attempt to alter its properties. The spell was long and rather complicated, taking a great deal of focus and energy to work her way through once let alone attempting the damned thing over and over in rapid succession. Yen was on her last nerves as the fifth attempt failed, her tongue having gotten metaphorically tied in the middle of the phrase. Cursing in a rather loud tone, she leaned forward on the table whilst pushed the warped piece into the pile of discarded failures that she now glared upon with disdain. The arteries extending from the heart were thankfully rather long, giving her enough to work with if she would succeed rather soon. But at her current pace, the sun would rise, half the heart would be a steaming mess, and she would be past out on the floor whilst eternally hemorrhaging due to how much effort it took. Gritting her teeth, Yennefer, with a partially renewed air of determination, took another small part of the heart and tried again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Upon her ninth try, she was nearly growling the words beneath her breath. Pouring not only the remaining bits of energy she had, but sheer desperation as well. As she spoke, the organic piece morphed and changed, the sight not particularly wonderful, but as she nearly finished it began to take a faint golden hue before finally spreading out and flattening slightly, scales protruding from its surface. Vision blurring with blood beginning to pour from her nose, the sorceress uttered the final phrase with sheer amounts of relief before leaning on the table heavily. Trying to keep herself upright, she raised the back of her hand to try and limit the flow of blood while blinking rapidly to try and get a glimpse of the piece of the heart. And as her sight cleared somewhat, her breath paused momentarily as an indescribable mix of joy and anxiousness flooded through her. The wall of the artery was not anymore, instead, a decent patch of about an inch by an inch of the hide of a golden dragon was within its place. Renewed somewhat by this, she was quick to act, preparing the many vials, ingredients, and substances she required to finish the elixir.

Dawn had already broke by the time the final product was within her grasp. A small vial filled to the brim with an unpleasant looking brownish-gold color. Examining it thoroughly both with magical and more practical means, she was more than pleased to find no traces of impurities. But as she brought it to her lips, the sound of footsteps were heard fast approaching. Cursing silently, Yen hurriedly drained the container with a fierce gag before setting it down and appearing to be examining the beating heart. "You're up early." Geralt commented while entering the chamber, examining her work carefully. "How many days can I lie in bed till noon till I waste away?" She asked nonchalantly, albeit being more than exhausted, mentally and physically speaking. "Isn't that what retirement's for?" Her lover inquired in a partially mocking tone, causing her to turn and face him with her lips parted in preparation for a response that never came as a terrifically familiar pain tore through her lower abdomen akin to being stabbed with serrated daggers. "Yen, are you alright? There's blood…" The witcher began looking to the dried crust that remained around her nose but slowly trailed off as his eyes flicked to the ever growing smile upon the enchantress lips. "I'm fine." Yennefer stated calmly with noticeable hints of joy. "Perfectly, wonderfully fine."wonderfully fine."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Not all that happy with this one for I felt there were too many time skips and I broke character a bit near the end but decided to finish as the third chapter is almost done!/p**_

 _ **Thank you for the feedback and favorites/follows! It made me rather happy to see that not just the one person I'm actively sharing this fanfiction with is reading as well as enjoying it. Speaking of which, I tried to cut down on paragraph length.. tried, oh well let's just see if this works.**_

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Geralt's confusion was more than obvious as she explained that she would follow him up soon after she cleaned up. Reluctantly, the witcher would nod and slowly leave, curious as to what Yennefer was up to. It hadn't been the first time she conducted some sort of research behind his back, and he doubted it would be the last.

Once he finally reached the front door and entered, he couldn't resist knowing what she was up to considering it looked to be rather taxing. Scanning the room and quickly locating the journal she had been writing in, he made his way over to the side of the table and examined the cover. His medallion didn't hum which meant the spell she had placed upon her work was no longer in effect.

Cautiously reaching forward, Geralt had been about to grab the book when the door creaked, causing him to immediately stop what he was doing and appear to be examining one of his swords that lay on the polished rack just above it. Yennefer entered and allowed the door she had just opened to close behind her, passing the enchantress a glance, he noticed she had a much more.. for lack of a better word, upbeat, air about her than usual. A small smile that was complimented by a faint, warm glow within her violet eyes as opposed to the normally cool demeanor she had. Odd but definitely not unwelcome. "Did whatever you're working on turn out alright?" "I guess you could say that…" She replied in a vaguely simple tone, clearly not inclined to answer anything about what had occurred before.

His lover would then walk past him, towards where the kitchen was whilst calling back. Asking if he had eaten anything for breakfast yet. Replying no, because he hasn't, Geralt's confusion only continued to strengthen. Marlene had taken a day to go into the city and replenish her supply of herbs as the garden had not yet been made ready, but cooking regardless wasn't her forte.

About a half an hour later, she seemed to prove him wrong… sorta. The eggs were cooked moderately well although the meat (which he couldn't figure out the kind) was either scorched or raw. Not bothering to say anything to risk spoiling her good mood, they ate in silence, although Geralt couldn't help but notice that Yennefer's eyes kept drifting to the glass of wine she had poured him. Unclear as to why she was acting as such, he paused in his eating to reach for the glass, allowing himself to take a semi-discrete sniff. But Yen still managed to notice. "It was one of our first barrels, I just happened to find a bottle in the kitchen." Nodding somewhat, the witcher brought the glass to his lips and took a moderately large sip. The taste was of wine, but mixed with what could be compared to water from a basin that had been left unemptied for a bit to long. A clear grimace passing over his face, he set the glass down. "Are you sure you didn't misread the label?" The sorceress shook her head, moving for her own glass and taking a small mouthful. Seeming unfazed by the taste, Geralt gave a sigh, not bothering to continue dealing with the matter.

After they finished, Yennefer was quick to offer to collect the dishes and take them back into the kitchen. He had drunk a good portion of the glass without needing to be coaxed the rest remaining untouched. Hoping it was enough to achieve the result she wanted, the sorceress began to clean the plates they had used, quickly losing herself within her thoughts about a possible future.

The rest of that day, Geralt had been feeling awful. Uncertain if it was the food or the wine he had drank, the witcher remained home instead of going out looking for monsters and or gwent decks to slay. But as he tried to keep himself entertained via maintaining his swords and armor, he couldn't help but notice that his love wasn't as focused as she normally was. When she had joined him outside with book in hand, he would notice her having to re-read the page she was one three or four times before moving forward, apparently not taking in the information upon its pages. It was unlike Yennefer, very much so and he couldn't figure out what is was that she was bothering her. Returning his steel sword to its sheath and leaning forward for his silver one, he

It was unlike Yennefer, very much so and he couldn't figure out what is was that she was bothering her. Returning his steel sword to its sheath and leaning forward for his silver one, he past her a mixed glance, not sure if he should be curious or worried. "What's bothering you?" He decided on saying, eyeing her carefully. The woman looked up from the book she was reading, appearing confused although he was unable to tell how genuine it truly was. "I'm fine. The only thing troubling me is how I'm managing through his horrid novel." Part of himself wanted to press further, but the other knew that she wasn't going to be letting up any information any time soon. And so he continued with his work upon his sword, despite the blade being rather sharp "as-is" due to its lack of use.

One week later, Geralt was almost certain that something was wrong. Almost every advance he made, she ignored whether it was to try and pry into what was wrong to those more suggestive when they retired for the night. Her behavior had gone from odd, past unusual, to unnatural in the matter of a few days which was seldom comforting. He hadn't been able to shake the unease that had formed in the pit of his stomach for quite some time now, and he knew if answers weren't gotten soon, it was only going to fester akin to a wound left untreated. And so when the day grew late enough, he had located the enchantress but before he could speak, the woman already had a rather mischievous smile upon her lips while turning and making her way to their bedroom.

Hours after the two had calmed down after their excursion, Geralt felt somewhat relieved that Yennefer had loosened up somewhat. But before he could continue to release the worry he had built up, Yen shifted against him, her head resting against his as her lips nearly touched his ear. Faintly whispering two words that only made himself to become uncertain once more. "Thank you."

The day following was nothing but a relapse into her strange behavior once more, only amplified by the fact that she wasn't drinking the ungodly amounts of wine she normally consumed throughout the day. Not a single glass. Yennefer knew Geralt wasn't only oblivious but beginning to grow worried, which was something she assumed would've occurred considering this was the last thing he would expect for very obvious reasons. She wasn't going to say anything, not yet. Not until she was certain. When that will be… she wasn't sure. Telling the witcher soon was as a possibility, but then there was the chance of failure. Not saying anything for the duration of the pregnancy, which would be difficult and involve more than a few Illusions and lie which was also an option albeit not the best. Undecided, the sorceress decided to wait and play it by ear to see what would be best.

It had been a week and a half since the whole charade began and a few days since Yennefer was positive she was with child. A courier had arrived at their door around mid afternoon, Geralt interrupted in what he had turned into his daily routine to try and future out what was supposedly wrong with her (which either consisted of him staring at her for rather long amounts of time to asking nonchalant but obvious questions or remarks) had went and retrieved the letter that was addressed to both of them. Shutting the door, the witcher undid the wax seal and read it over before sighed. "Anna Henrietta is hosting some event and she wants us to come…" He grumbled. Amusement sparking within her eyes, she responded in a tone that complemented such a look. "Oh Geralt, don't complain. As much as you dislike formal settings and attire, we both know that we're going to attend. When is it being held?" Scanning the piece of parchment once more, his look of disdain deepened. "Tonight." Standing from where she sat, the woman nodded. "Then go bathe, I can smell you from here."

Geralt was more than unhappy by the news of this event. Very much so. Doublets and stiff trousers were going to fill his night, which just made the whole ordeal worse. He took his time whilst getting ready, trying to delay the clothing that was awaiting him as long as possible. But after Yennefer had prepared herself, she was quickly coaxing the witcher to hurry considering the amount of time he was taking. Even to the point where she began to try and forcibly dress him. After they finally had finished preparing and were about to leave, the enchantress would frown and make a statement that only continued to sour his mood. "We don't have time to saddle the horses… we'll have to take a portal." Geralt groaned but couldn't speak as he was cut off with a sharp glare. "Unless you would like to be the last to arrive." Not bothering to respond, she waved a hand and conjured a portal that would take them to the front of Beauclair Palace.

Stepping out with the witcher grumbling something about hating portals, Yennefer intertwined her arm with his and tugged him rather forcefully towards the entrance where others were trickling in. "Geralt." She whispered, the man passing her a glance as she continued. "Try not to fool around. The last thing I need to learn that you fucked someone within the duchess' court." "Don't have any faith in me?" He asked but wasn't able to hear what Yen would've said as she put a seemingly genuine smile upon her face that was anything but to him. Initially they were greeted warmly by a pair of knights that stood by the doors with pikes in hand, standing guard at the entrance to the ballroom. It was extremely unlikely that something should occur, but after recovering from the vampiric massacre they couldn't be too careful.

The grand hall was bursting with life seeing as they were one of the last few to arrive. Not spotting anyone they knew yet, aside from the duchess herself that was greeting guests with a slightly unhappy and more than uncomfortable sister in tow, Geralt was all too eager to see if there was any alcohol or at the very least food to be found. Noticing his eyes wandering, Yennefer still tugged him along, knowing it was only polite to make their way towards the host.

But it wasn't going to be that simple. Avoiding simple conversation from those they weren't familiar would've been simple if they weren't Geralt of Riva and Yennefer of Vengerberg, a pair quite noticeable amidst the crowd. Many wanted to thank the witcher for slaying the beast of Beauclair while others tried to make small talk with the sorceress, interested in quite possibly political manners that she had no worry or say in anymore. The two thought it was going to be the same few phrases with each new person they came across, yet the next someone who approached them stood out from the rest. It was a young woman whom she nor Geralt didn't recognize, approaching rather suddenly. She wore a simple albeit elaborate dress in a mix of various red hues with soft, small features and moderately dark hair that was pulled back rather neatly. "Master Geralt, Madam Yennefer…" The mystery woman greeted them with a slight nod of her head, her voice betraying that she wasn't from Toussaint. "I had heard you two were going to be here… when you hadn't arrived early, I feared you didn't get the message." Passing her lover a glance, Yen couldn't resist commenting. "If Geralt would've just put his doublet on instead of complaining, we would've arrived much sooner." The woman chuckled while the man in question sighed, yet moved past the remark. "And you are?" "Oh! Forgive me… Elvira Veesaert-" she introduced herself while bowing her head once more. "I was offered a position by the duchess after the most recent incident and I couldn't possibly refuse." This caused Yennefer to grow curious. "A position doing what exactly?" Elvira gave a warm yet almost mocking smile. "She found it quite convenient to have an sorceress within her court."

It was a young woman whom she nor Geralt didn't recognize, approaching rather suddenly. She wore a simple albeit elaborate dress in a mix of various red hues with soft, small features and moderately dark hair that was pulled back rather neatly. "Master Geralt, Madam Yennefer…" The mystery woman greeted them with a slight nod of her head, her voice betraying that she wasn't from Toussaint. "I had heard you two were going to be here… when you hadn't arrived early, I feared you didn't get the message." Passing her lover a glance, Yen couldn't resist commenting. "If Geralt would've just put his doublet on instead of complaining, we would've arrived much sooner." The woman chuckled while the man in question sighed, yet moved past the remark. "And you are?" "Oh! Forgive me… Elvira Veesaert-" she introduced herself while bowing her head once more. "I was offered a position by the duchess after the most recent incident and I couldn't possibly refuse." This caused Yennefer to grow curious. "A position doing what exactly?" Elvira gave a warm yet almost mocking smile. "She found it quite convenient to have an sorceress within her court."

Although she kept a composed expression, she would metaphorically frown quite deeply. As far she was aware, the lodge was still in shambles, there wasn't an active school, and this woman was awfully young. When it comes to mages, sorceresses especially, its more than difficult to guess one's age. However, based upon how she wasn't familiar with her name or face on even a remote level, she had to be much younger than herself. "And I believe you already know who we are-" she would say, trying to keep a humorous air about her voice when she was abruptly cut off. "Oh yes! I've read up upon you two quite intently." Geralt would shift beside her as Yennefer's gaze began to be tinged with faint hints of annoyance. "As I was about to ask, how long have you been studying for?" There was a slight pause before an answer was given. "A decade or two." "Mmm… I would thought that someone such as Anna Henrietta herself would want someone more talented than a novice." This comment caused the witcher to send her a glare with the younger mage seeming to gain a hard edge. "I can assure you, Madam Yennefer, that I am notably much more skilled than a novice."

No more words were exchanged as she then moved past them, leaving to speak to others. "Was that really necessary?" Geralt took his turn in scolding Yen which she replied in a hushed tone "Yes, now come. No more delaying."

They soon reached the duchess and had yet another brief conversation considering she was being pulled in almost three different directions at once. Allowing her to tend to what she ended, the two would then split up. The witcher hunting down some sort of food and drink with Yennefer in search of information upon Elvira. Time past, and she gathered a pathetic amount considering no one was all that sure about her entirely. Nothing but a handful of rumors and gossip that was hardly worth paying attention to. Yet once she tried scanning the crowd for Geralt, she was somewhat to see that he was nowhere to be found, at least within the ballroom. Asking a few acquaintances if they had seen him, most would reply that last they'd seen him, he had been conversing with a small group of women before disappearing down a corridor with one of them. Clearly knowing why, and how it wasn't a good thing in the slightest, she picked up the pace. Her footsteps ringing out as the din of the party faded into the background.

A few guards that attempted to stop her were pushed past, ignoring their presence as she mentally searched each of the rooms she past. Most either held drunk and or unconscious occupants or were empty, which kept making the enchantress' mood worsen. Yet give or take a few moments later, she was sure she had found the correct one. Stepping up to the door, Yen took hold of the handle, gave it a solid twist, and threw it open. Looking to each of the faces present, relief flooded through her, it being somewhat visible within her expression. It was Geralt and that damned wench that spoke to them early. And no, she didn't care about what strange thing they were doing with the headboard or even that she was bound in dimeritium handcuffs. Just that it was a sorceress.

Being able to focus on the situation at hand now that she was done worrying about a potentially awful situation, Elvira gave her a cheeky, mocking, triumphant grin while Geralt cursed and began to try and worm his way out of the woman's embrace.

They were silent as the two exited the room, the door shutting as Yennefer would give him a disapproving glare, not speaking as she conjured another portal, the two stepping inside.

Once they returned back to Corvo Bianco, Yennefer faced him and wouldn't hesitate in hissing "You're lucky." Geralt, obviously done with the guessing game that had ensued for the last few days, narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean? You've been nothing but cryptic these last few days." Frowning herself she continued with a sharp retort. "Don't you think I'm aware of that? By the gods, I don't need to spend every moment explaining my actions to you." At this point, Geralt would look as if he wanted to speak, but said nothing. His face covered with look of not only guilt, but annoyance, concern, and a whole host of other things. Due to his silence, Yen took this as an opportunity to rid the many things from her mind that had been built up over the last few days.

The rant lasted for a few minutes at best until she was left silently fuming. An icy glare set upon the witcher as he was apparently forming a response of two words. "What's wrong?" Withdrawal from not only alcohol but sex was apparently getting to her, for the next words that left her mouth were almost an emotion bloated yell. "I'm pregnant!" Geralt's immediate reaction was to narrow his eyes even further. "That's impossible." The man huffed. "We both know that you're infertile and witchers are sterile." Giving her head a brief shake, black curls shimmering in the faint light cast by the few candles most likely lit by the majordomo, Yen replied in a much softer tone albeit it still had an edge. "No completely. With the hide of a golden dragon it was possible to make a substance to reverse the effect and return my fertility." "How would you get the hide?" The enchantress sighed. "I have to explain everything, don't I? The heart you found was filled with enough magical energy that I was able to remove a small portion and transmute it into the substance I required." Connecting the dots, Geralt continued. "And so… that's why I found you in the cellar." "Yes." Her tone was filled with clear annoyance. "I had to work all night with that damned thing." But,the witcher still didn't understand. "Who's the father?" By now, the annoyance was less general and more directed towards him. "Do you really thing I would go through all that trouble to restore my own fertility without that in mind? Who would logically be the person I would vague consider having a child with?"

As this was said, Geralt fell silent for a considerable amount of time. His eyes not leaving his lover. It was something he didn't and couldn't expected, and he wasn't honestly all that sure how to react. He knew that he should be overjoyed, not only for Yen's sake (as she had been trying to make it possible for herself to conceive for as long a she had known her) but also that he was going to achieve something that was impossible for other witchers, that being having a child that was related to him by blood. But part of I'm was also rather skeptical seeing as she had meddled with himself with permission (which wasn't entirely unlike her.) Finally, he felt as if he should be somewhat concerned. Not only did the heart contain magic of an unknown origin, but he was a fully mutated witcher and she was a sorceress. What effect, if any, would it have on the child?

Giving his head a brief shake, the witcher was conflicted. And because he was, the man saw no other option than to turn slowly on his heel and walk for the door. There was a tavern not far, and he needed something stronger than wine.

As Geralt turned and went for the door, promptly leaving without a word, Yennefer's anger, frustration, and annoyance suddenly left her and was replaced by an uncertain helplessness of sorts that she cursed at herself for feeling. She hadn't known what his reaction was going to be, especially considering the idea was very much impossible, or had been. Lowering herself into a chair that sat alongside the elaborate table, she rested her elbows upon its surface while caressing her head in her hands. Not all that certain of a situation anymore that she believed she had been in control of.


	3. Chapter 3

**_More favorites and reviews? WHAT? Thank you, everyone! If you have any other specific thoughts or ideas (as I need them) please feel free to PM me about it so we can talk it over as the main idea in this chapter was fuled by input from a friend of mine._**

 ** _I did warn everyone that this was going to be a bit short but not to worry! I'll be upping the length again come further chapters. In the mean time, enjoy! :D_**

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Wordlessly the barmaid approached the table at which he sat, refilling his wooden tankard before retreating, clearly expressing discomfort with the witcher in the room. Grabbing the mug and tugging it towards him, he didn't drink but rather fiddled with the handle and stare into the glass of frothing ale. It was the only place he had found to serve ample amounts of beer to compete with wine, and while it tasted like piss, it was getting the job done...somewhat. He still had quite a few rounds to go before the slight buzz in the back of his skull became anything noteworthy.

Geralt had been sitting there for a good half an hour or so, thinking over the situation delicately. Previous knowledge was telling him it was impossible. A jest, possibly for Yennefer to see how he would react to such things. But logic and knowing the woman for as long as he had was telling him otherwise. That she really was not only carrying a child but his child.

Bloody hell…

He stifled a groan, running a hand down his face before grabbing for his drink and taking a swing, grimacing slightly as its poor taste drenched his tongue. It wouldn't have hurt for her to bring the topic to light, possibly even discussing it first before jumping in head first.

While he sat, his mind kept drifting off to Ciri. Their unofficially adoptive daughter. Distant memories began to filter in, from when he had first met her among the druids to when at Kaer Morhen and Triss Merigold scolded those remaining from the School of the Wolf about raising a girl properly and even as he found her years later on the isle of mist among the dwarves who thought her to be dead.

If it was any indication of how rough parenthood was, he wasn't sure about going through it once more. But instead of having to chase down a young woman who can control space and time while being hunted by foes only thought to exist in fiction, it would be starting from scratch with a headstrong sorceress for a mother and a grizzled witcher for a father.

Honestly, he wasn't sure which was better.

About to take another sip, he lifted the mug to his lips but then abruptly paused. The day had grown extremely late, with the moon near the peak of its journey admits the sky. And because patrons were few and far between at this hour, the next person to open the door was rather… unexpected to say the least.

They seemed to not notice him for the most part, before he could feel their eyes drifting wearily around the tavern before settling upon him. It didn't take them long to move towards the table, taking a seat across from his with a smile upon their lips. "You were the last person I expected to see here." Lowering the mug that was within his hands, Geralt sighed. "Hello to you too, Triss." The sorceress was quick to respond playfully. "Aren't you thrilled… did Yennefer kick you out of the house?" Giving the woman a look of partially mock annoyance, he was quick to answer her question with another question. Not sure if it was right to bring up his prediment so soon. "Why are you in Toussaint? Did the money not last in Kovir?" "Not necessarily…" She trailed off, giving Geralt reason to believe he was going to have yet another problem on his hands.

It took Yennefer a long while to work up the courage to move again. When she finally did it was slow, unsteady as if she had consumed a bit too much to drink. Her mind was buzzing with an intoxicating amount of "what-ifs" mainly about Geralt and the his thoughts on the child.

Moving towards their bedroom, the emotion she's bottled up beginning to escape through slim cracks as she reached the door, pushed it gently before stopping. There was a faint magical energy nearby… something that had just began to reveal itself. Curious, the sorceress followed it to the chests she had strewn about, one right beside where she had found the accursed journal. Gingerly kneeling down once more, she opened the box and let her eyes scan its contents before locating the trace's origin.

Her megascope crystals…

Someone was trying to contact her.

Unsure of who it might be, especially at such a late hour, the woman was quick to set up the device within the couple's bedroom, making sure to have it face away from the unicorn before shoving all signs of what she was feeling down her throat and allowing the connection to go through.

The image that next appeared made her curse violently.

The magically seeing form of Philippa Eilhart. A smug smile across her lips at the other woman's reaction. "I would wish you a good evening…" she began mockingly. "But I think we both know there is no need for such pleasantries." This being the last things Yennefer wanted to deal with, she was quick to narrow her eyes whilst offering a cold response. "I have no business with the lodge and Ciri is dead. What could you possibly want?" A drawn out chuckle escaped Philippa's lips, before she seemed to diverge from the matter at hand. "My, how many years is it now? Aren't we nearing the grand total of a century?" Yen frowned. "What does my age have to do with anything?" "Well it is certainly unheard of for a human woman to have a child nearing one hundred years, isn't it?" This immediately threw her off guard. It hadn't even been a week much less told anyone aside from Geralt…

With no immediate response, it only gave the master of polymorphy more reason to press. "How do I know? A little birdy told me, Yennefer. Denying it won't get you anywhere." The black-clad enchantress grit her teeth but kept her voice and facial expression level. "What reason would you have to care?" "Oh, I really don't give a pile of horse shit what you and that witcher of yours get up to. It's Emyhr who's interested." This only increased not only her annoyance, but confusion as well. "What good did it do to tell him? Absolutely nothing I'm assuming?" Philippa took a few steps, her features somehow becoming even more mocking than they had before. "Connect the dots, it's not they bloody difficult. You took his Cirilla from him… and now he wants to generously repay the favor."

At the sound of this, Yen both snarled and visibly paled, not wasting a second in severing the connection with the crystals. The stands they were in falling over but thankfully not shattering the precious stones they held. Trying to process what she had just witnessed, the woman backed up to the bed her and her lover shared, slowly taking a seat on the edge. They weren't even within his reach, his kingdom. Surely they couldn't storm in and demand for an unborn child. And even if they did, she wouldn't let them… and hopeful Geralt felt the same way.

Shifting onto the bed, she laid back and promptly closed her eyes wishing everything was as simple as it originally seemed.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Finally, here we are! I apologize for how slowly I wrote this one seeing as it's rather small, but I've been dealing with a bit of stress lately which has been affecting my willingness to write. Ah, nonetheless the fifth chapter will be on its way soon!_**

 ** _Finally, thank you for all the follows and favorites! If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to send me a PM or leave a review._**

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"What's going on?" He asked, examining the sorceress closely. She was trying awfully hard to keep a straight face and calm posture. "I just...wanted to see how things were going." She replied hesitantly, leading Geralt to clearly believe otherwise. "Right… because you have nothing more important you could be doing right now." She shifted but was quick to try and shift topics, knowing fully well that he was correct. "How have you and Yennefer been?" Pausing for a moment, he caught the faint notes of jealousy within her voice, which only caused him to sigh and play along with whatever it was she was up to. "Fine. Enjoying retirement I suppose." Triss wasn't letting up, oddly enough. "Really? Nothing new to share?" She stressed the words so hard the witcher swore he heard them shatter. "No. Why?" Geralt narrowed his eyes slightly, noticing how the woman's rate of breathing seemed to increase. "Just wondering… you and her are always up to…" She trailed off, gazed seeming unfocused for a moment. Leaning forward slightly and lowering his voice, he began to lose the suspicion and take on a more worried air. "What's wrong?" He asked, the chestnut-haired enchantress grimacing and giving her head a brief shake. "I'm fine…" she mumbled distantly, but based upon the color draining from her face, it was more than clear that she wasn't. "I'm not a fool, Triss." The witcher's voice softened which finally caused the woman to snarl quietly "The whore is blackmailing me!"

After they stood and left the establishment, the sorceress leaning heavily upon the man as they began the walk back to Corvo Bianco with Geralt finally speaking one he was sure they were alone. "Who's blackmailing you?" Triss took a moment to respond. "Philippa… she wants information from-" She cut off abruptly, wincing and drawing in a few breaths before continuing. "You and Yennefer…" "I'm assuming you didn't agree to come here willingly?" "Do you think I would want to spy on you two?" The mage huffed. The previous tension that existed between the two best friends had subsided (with a bit of alcohol to nudge them in the right direction) and with Triss somewhat apologizing for taking advantage of Geralt, the two seemed to have put it behind them. However, how far they pushed it back was still a mystery to him.

They ceased talking for another minute or two before the witcher decided to continue again. "Did she say what she wanted?" "Only gave a vague command." The woman muttered. "Anything that would seem out of place or unexpected." This caused the man to frown almost immediately. Was Philippa aware of Yennefer's scheming? Or, hell, somehow knew that she was now carrying an (or rather his) child? The situation seemed to grow worse by the hour, not believing that it had only been yesterday when he was reclining out in the sun without a care in the world.

Yennefer hadn't moved from her position on the bed. Eyes closed she contemplated the most worrisome occurrences, and to be honest, there were quite a few. First, what lengths Philippa was going to go to get ahold of her child and what Emhyr would want with them, the second being Geralt's reaction, and the third was quite obviously the child itself but not necessarily in that order.

The familiar stressful sensation of having a hefty metaphorical load upon her shoulders was returning, and the sorceress both loathed and deeply missed the feeling. It bringing discomfort but a rush, a high of excitement and uncertainty as well.

Finally coaxing herself to move so she could shed the elaborate clothing she was wearing for something more comfortable (or nothing at all seeing as the hour was rather late) she had barely gotten up off the bed when the front door opened. Yen first assumed Geralt had finally decided to return as drunk as could be but noted that there were two presences within the main room, not just one. Partially certain her lover wasn't wasted enough to bring home another woman, she still moved to the door opened it a bit so she could see who it was. The sight caused her to quickly exit the doorway and march over to the pair, one of which who looked relieved to be seated.

"By the gods, Triss, what are you doing here?" The enchantress snapped in a tone that could be taken has harsh but was generally more concerned. "Nice to see you too…" Triss groaned, her gaze flicking between the two that stood before her. "She says Philippa's blackmailing her…" Geralt began while discarding the doublet he wore. "For information." Secretly glad he left the potential second half of that statement unsaid, she nodded and focused on the matter at hand. "What did she do? I'd rather not spend hours trying to decipher it myself." "She invited me, Kiera, and a few others who so happened to still be involved with politics to join her for the evening." Geralt didn't waste a moment before rolling his eyes. "And that didn't seem suspicious at all?" Triss cast him a discomfort diluted glare. "Of course it did-" Yennefer finished her thought. "But not attending would've put quite the attention upon her. Did you check the meal that was served to make sure nothing was tampered with?" It was now the chestnut-haired woman's turn to roll her eyes. "How stupid do you think I am? Yes! I found nothing out of the ordinary at the time… but as it turns out, the wine had been mixed with some highly concentrated potion." Yennefer was the first to connect the dots, groaning audibly. "Which means she was singling out your allergy to magic specifically."

After Yennefer worked to neutralize the effects as best she could (it was much more concentrated than she had originally thought) and threatened to bind her to the guest bed if she wouldn't stay put, she returned to the first floor and was certain dawn wasn't far away now. Geralt was lingering near the stairs, looking as if he wanted to speak. However, he wouldn't. She knew he wouldn't for his apologies we always silent while hers were much more verbal. Yet not only was she not in the mood for such a task, but the woman lacked the energy as well. Slipping past the witcher, she simply murmured "We'll discuss this in the morning." Whilst heading back to their bedroom. The man thankfully followed suit without question, trailing behind her as they both prepared for bed.

They didn't wake till well into the next day. Geralt rising first earlier afternoon while leaving Yennefer to sleep for a few extra hours. The witcher knew that the conversation was inevitable and partially dreading the idea of it wasn't helping his situation.

Lightly climbing the stairs to check on Triss, the woman appeared to be asleep, but he knew better based on the way she had shifted slightly as he approached. "I know you're awake." He said while moving towards the bed and watching as she sighed and opened her eyes partially. The sorceress looked worse than she had last night despite whatever Yen did. "How are you feeling?" He asked, getting an expectedly sarcastic response. "Amazing."

They spoke briefly for a few more minutes before she was told to get some rest, the man descending the stairs and seeing Yen sitting at the table picking at a plate of food Marlene most likely shoved in front of her. "How is she?" She asked, setting the fork she held down and focusing entirely on him. "Worse than last night." He replied quickly, taking a seat beside her with a look that was more than obvious. Yennefer didn't return it but turned hers away, appearing more interested in the wood of the table when in truth she just wasn't all that sure if even the slightest expression would betray what she was currently feeling. "I realize I should've said something before I acted so suddenly." The enchantress began with a mock firmness that was desperately trying to conceal the hesitant and doubt within her tone. "But I had gotten… carried away." Uncertain if it achieved its task in its entirety, Geralt began to speak. "I should've thought that this is why you were after, although I thought that you had forgotten with Ciri to take care of." Now Yen grew slightly annoyed. "Don't assume that I didn't enjoy raising her for the brief moments I was able to. She's more our daughter than Emhyr's by now."

There was a small period of silence as the woman then gathered the courage to look Gerald directly in the eye. "While I do love her, there's something… different about having my own- our own. If we simply… don't see eye to eye on the matter…" This is where she began to falter. Yennefer was still wholly uncertain about his thoughts upon the ordeal and should she suggest something drastic, it would be condemning herself to whatever would next leave her mouth.

The time the woman was awaiting a response seemed eternal, but eventually, Geralt cleared his throat. "We're seeing eye-to-eye now, aren't we?" A thin, unsure smile began on the sorceress' lips as the witcher responded with one in a similar manner, Yen leaning into him for an embrace that was held for but a few seconds when the stairs creaked. Leaving them to detach from one another and spot Triss grasping the railing as to keep upright with a faint grin upon her lips.

Gerald remained downstairs as Yennefer scolded the younger sorceress before marching up the stairs pushing her back into the bed. However, he easily caught the shrill cry they came from Triss' mouth as the news was clarified from a simple eavesdropping to reality. He, on the other hand, was still struggling to not only process but rationalize the situation.

He was going to be a father.

An actual father.

He considered himself one to Ciri, definitely.

But actually being biologically related to a child that would be his own flesh and blood.

The gravity of the idea seemed a bit too much seeing as everything was still assumed to be impossible. Gerald chuckled slightly whilst running a hand down his face, trying to imagine what Vesemir would say to such a thing.

Triss had a rather foolish grin set upon her face while being seated on the edge of the guest bed with Yennefer standing nearby, a joy and hopeful expression replacing the woman's normally cool features. "Why didn't you try to contact me when you saw it was possible?" She asked, still smiling widely. "I wanted to be certain," Yen responded slowly. "That and I didn't want it getting out where… select individuals could find out." The other sorceress' face fell slightly, as she apparently recalled her current situation along with the bitch that had put her in the mess to begin with. "Right… how'd she find out then?" The standing woman parted her lips to explain that she didn't know when she abruptly paused. That sorceress that had gotten Geralt into bed just last night had been the only one who was even remotely close enough to get any information. But… she had slept with the witcher, not her… did she scan his memories and piece the bits and pieces together, or had Geralt been assuming the whole time?

"Yennefer?" The sound of her name soon pulled the woman back to the present, making her face a stone slate, void of everything except hints of disgust. "Someone told her…" She spat vilely. "And I want to know how she did." Triss frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but was abruptly cut off. "I won't do anything rash, the gods know I don't need anything else to deal with."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Yes, this is months late but I've finally worked up the motivation to continue! (I mean, who wouldn't want to portray a hormonal, detoxing, sex-starved, strong-willed sorceress?) I decided to cut this one a bit short so I can get it out there, but don't worry, the next one will hopefully summarize 9 months so... stay tuned for that i guess?**_

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The rest of that day had been uneventful, Triss slowly recovering and not to mention continually fantasizing about the possible future. But it soon drew to a close, they all heading to bed much calmer than the previous night, although when Geralt slowly woke a few hours after dawn, he immediately knew something was wrong. Yennefer wasn't in bed beside him. Reaching and touching her side, it was cold as if she had left quite some time ago. Cursing and now fully awake, he quickly threw the sheets back and got dressed, trying to figure out where she had gone.

"Triss." He said to the sleeping woman, giving her shoulder a small shake. "Huh…?" She asked, still not fully responsive as the witcher asked. "Yen's missing, do you know where she might've went?" This seemed to wake the sorceress somewhat as she sat up slightly, a frown forming. "She did give a small indication that she would do something like this… claiming she knew who told Philipa about her pregnancy." Knowing the raven-haired woman all too well, seeing as she would want to enact revenge of some kind, Geralt groaned. "Dammit… I think I do too… don't leave this bed until I get back." And with that he turned and hastily descended the stair without another word, moving rather fast for not only did she have a temper, but a child to worry about as well.

Yennefer had left rather early so she could slip past without waking Geralt. He had used to be a light sleeper until now, it somewhat amusing how soft he was slowly becoming. But pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she needed to the to the duchess' palace and speak with her so called mage, no wonder she was so young. The bitch was working for Philipa.

At first she had attempted to conjure a portal once outside, but even trying to cast a simple spell soon made the world spin. Cursing she instead had to saddle her black mare, digging her heels into its flank as to urge the beast forward. It would take undoubtedly more time to arrive on horseback rather than using magical means, but at this point, there wasn't another option and she surely wasn't going to wake Triss.

It was mid morning by the time reached she reached the duchess' palace as there had been a few unplanned and wholly unpleasant stops along the way. The woman quickly dismounting and began walking towards the main entrance where a few guards were standing idly. As she approached, they quickly straightened and fell silent, the one closest to Yennefer asking "Madame, the Duchess isn't taking any visito-" But he was cut short whilst being ignored as she pushed her way through regardless. They rushed in after her, Anna Henrietta entering the room whilst in a conversation with the exact woman she wanted to speak to. "My Lady!" One of them cried. "She just barged in!" The pair were quick to quit speaking, the younger sorceress casting Yen a smug smile. "Which means you are doing your job." The duchess snapped before sighing and dismissing them a wave of her hand. "What to what do I own this expected visit?" She asked, a response quickly following. "I would like a word with her." She said curtly, gesturing towards Elvira. All too eager to play defensively, her mocking grin grew wider. "I'm sure whatever it is you wish to discuss, we can do it before her majesty." Yennefer's scowl deepened, choosing her words carefully. "Oh but I'm sure she has much more important things to tend to than some trivial matters."

They ended up going back and forth rather cryptically for another few minutes before the other woman grew bored, finally interrupting. "Ladies, I have no interest in playing games. Are you or are you not going to speak coherently?" Elvira was first to answer. "Of course… because Madam Yennefer has some news she would just love to share." Now passing the point of irritation to pure annoyance, she had opened her mouth to deny the statement when the guardsmen behind them gave another cry. "She-" But the guardsman was once again cut short as someone else stepped up beside Yennefer into the conversation. Geralt would pass his lover a 'what the hell are you doing' glance behind focusing on the two women before him, a sly smirk forming on Elvira's lips. "Come to collect what's yours?" She asked tauntingly, not getting the reaction she wanted as he simply stated "I apologize for any trouble she's caused… uh… she hasn't been herself lately."

After exchanging a brief goodbye and going on their way, the sorceress finally spoke as they were a decent ways away from the castle. "I didn't need you chasing after me." "I hope you realize that the conversation, from what I heard, wasn't going in your favor." This caused her to fall silent for a moment, fuming slightly as she knew he was right. "So I'm supposed to allow her to dangle this small victory of hers over my head, is that it?" A small sigh escaped the witcher's lips as he kept his eyes forward on the path ahead of them, now deciding to choose his words carefully. "No… but it would've been nice if you said that you suspected her."

They rode silently the rest of the way, the awkward silence that had descended clearly not leaving them any times soon.


End file.
